Kids give Puke Ariki top marks for Home Work art

Monday, 20 November 2017

Puki Ariki has finished its Home Work – and kids have given it an A-plus for art.

More than 27,000 people attended the display of vibrant, contemporary art in the New Plymouth District Council-run library, museum and information centre’s temporary exhibition space which showcased the talents of 65 Taranaki artists.

The event was about getting New Plymouth District people involved in our thriving art scene and more than 1,100 people attended 13 events including workshops, demonstrations and talks to learn about everything from murals to life drawing to on-the-spot sketching.

And Home Work: Taranaki Art 2017 proved to be a massive hit with kids. Children went along to workshops and took part in Puke Ariki’s Learning Outside the Classroom Education Programme to find out how they can create their own works of art. They showed their appreciation for the artists by writing postcards explaining why they loved it.

Puke Ariki Manager Kelvin Day said he was delighted with the reaction from kids and pleased to see so many people supporting local artists.

“Children who attended Home Work have written about being inspired by what they’ve seen – that’s exactly the reaction we’d hope for and shows how important art is in motivating kids to be creative,” Mr Day says.

“Home Work has yet again been a fantastic showcase and revealed just some of the diverse creative practice happening throughout Taranaki.”

The 65 artworks were selected by Puke Ariki curators Chanelle Carrick and Aimee Burbery and leading contemporary Māori artist Darcy Nicholas. The exhibition also saw the launch of a published version of the hand-printed book by Michaela Stoneman called The Menagerie that was part of the exhibition.

Budding artists who missed out this time can create something special for the next Home Work which is pencilled in for around mid-2020.

Home Work fast facts:

This is the second Home Work exhibition run by Puke Ariki.

More than 27,000 people have visited since its launch in June.

Some of the artworks on display were sold to private buyers.

The artwork featured a wide range of media including painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, jewellery and textiles.

Puke Ariki fast facts:

It first opened on 15 June 2003.

The total number of visitors to Puke Ariki and district libraries in the 2016/17 year was 809,036.

In that same period, Puke Ariki and community libraries issued 792,563 items.

It is the world’s first purpose-built, fully integrated museum, library and visitor information centre.

Puke Ariki has three long-term galleries (Takapou Whāriki, Taranaki Naturally and the Gallery of Taranaki Life) and components of these get changed out regularly.

The temporary exhibition space shows touring exhibitions that are either curated in-house or brought in from other museums.

Te Pua Wānanga O Taranaki/Taranaki Research Centre is also housed at the site.